Device for exhibiting coins, &amp;c.



No. 638.785. Patentednec. l2, |399. L. c. wHlTTLEsEY.

DEVICE FOR EXHIBITING GUINS. Bbc.

(Application led Mar. 3, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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IINTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LILLIAN C. VVHITTLESEY, OF VASIIINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

DEVICE FOR EXHIBITING COINS, 80C.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 638,785, dated December 12, 1899.

Application led March 3, 1899. Serial No. 707,659. (No model.) A

To all whom, it' no6/.y concern:

Beit known that LLILLIAN CAMP WHITTLE- SEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, in the District of Oolumbia,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Exhibiting Ooins and the Like; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The invention relates to means for displaying disk-shaped objects of value or interest, and especially souvenir coins, medals, and the like. It frequently happens that one has a rare or curious coin or similar article which would be an attractive ornament for the mantel or the table if it were possible to display it properly without risk of its being brushed aside or covered up by papers or other things. So, too, on anniversaries of birthdays, weddings, and other red-letter days a pretty gift :is some coins bearing appropriate dates, provided they can be displayed attractively. My invention aims to accomplish these and other objects in a simple and yet effective manner.

The invention consists, essentially, in a holder constructed as hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The holder has a groove or space to receive the edge of the coin and is adapted to be bent to retain the coin in the groove. One holder can be used alone when a single coin is to be displayed, or two or more holders can Abe grouped in various ways to form useful and ornamental articles, as hereinafter set forth. The coin, medal, or the like is held by its beaded rim only along a short arc, so that practically the entire coin is visible and its inscriptions and ornamentation on obverse, reverse, and periphery can be examined and studied with ease.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure l shows a single holder of simple construction. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section of the same. Fig. 3 shows two holders forming a pen-rack or knife-rest. Fig. 4 shows a group of holders forminga letter-rack. Fig. 5 shows two multiple holders constituting a rack, and Fig. 6 shows four multiple holders grouped to make a picture-frame.

The holder is composed of a body A and a base B, on which the body is supported. The body and base may be integral; but they are preferably made in separate parts fastened together. A simple form of body is shown in Figs. l and 2, where it is composed of ashort fiat tube of suitable material, such as sheet metal, having upright walls, preferably parallel,and an open top. In widthit corresponds with the thickness of the coin to be held. Inlength it equals the chord of a small arc on the circumference of the coin. In depth it may vary to suit the circumstances.

The upper end of the holder is flat and has an intermediate cut-away portion or notch, as at a, preferably on a curve concentric with but on a smaller radius than the circumference of the coin. lVhen acoin O is inserted egdewise into this holder, the sides a of the tube receive it and hold it in an upright position. Means are provided for retaining the coin in place. Preferably this is accomplished by bending inward the corners a2 of the notch or the entire flange formed by the edge of the notch, so that the milled rim ofthe coin will be engaged by the said corners or liange, as indicated in Fig. 2. As the periphery of the coin rests against the upper end of the holder at a3, it will be seen that the coin is firmly secured against accidental displacement. This mode of securing it avoids any risk of defacing the coin, yet at the same time it permits a ready removal of it when desired. These or any other equivalent form of single holder may be grouped in various ways to make useful and ornamental articles.

In Fig. 3 two holders like those shown in Figs. l and 2 are united by a transverse member or bar G, thereby forming a convenient knife-rest or pen-rack. This is an arrangement especially suited for displaying two coins commemorating an anniversary, such as a silver wedding, the coins selected being those having the appropriate dates, as 1874-v Fig. et shows a series of holders united by IOO . connected by transverse members which are themselves multiple holders, showing how a picture-frame can be formed. Such an article makes a pretty gift for a young person, the holders being filled with brightnew pennies ordimes whose dates correspond with-the successive years of the life of the recipient.

Multiple holders of this sort can be used b y numismatists to display collections of coins. Many other ornamental and useful articles can be devised by grouping these or equivalent holders.

I am aware thatit has been proposed to construct a holder for plaques in which a base is provided with a groove to receive the edge ofthe plaque and a clamp is arranged to hook over the opposite edge of the plaque to keep it from falling out of the groove; butin my device the clamp is dispensed with and the coin is securely retained in the holder by bending or otherwise engaging the anges of the holder with the milled rim of the coin. This prevents the coin from falling out ofthe holder, and, indeed, it cannot be removed therefrom until the flanges are bent back or otherwise disengaged from the thickened rim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A device for displaying coins and the like,

consisting ot' two short parallel sheet-metal tubes, Whose width is the same as the thickness of a coin, said tubes being adapted to receive a coin edgewise and provided with circular notches in their parallel Walls concentric with but of smaller radius than the coin, and a bar connecting said tubes transverse to their length, substantially as described.

2. Adevicefordisplayingcoinsandthelike, consisting of two flat tubular sheet-metalholders, Whose width is the same as the thickness of a coin, said holders having curved notches in their open tops, and a transverse member connecting said holders, substantially as described.

3. Adevicefordisplayingcoinsandthelike, consisting of two short parallel sheet-metal tubes, Whose width is the same as the thickness of avcoin, said tubes being adapted to receive a coin edgewise, and a transverse member connecting said tubes, substantially as described.

4. A device for supportinga coin or the like and displaying its obverse, reverse and periphery, consisting of a metal holder having parallel sides spaced apart the thickness of the coin, and a [iat top provided with an intermediate cut-away portion corresponding with a short arc of the coin, said holder being thus adapted to receive a small portion only of the edge of the coin, and to retain the same by having the edges of the cut-away portion bent inwardly on each side to clamp the beaded rim of said small portion of the coin.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LILLIAN C. XVHITTLESEY.

Tit nesses:

GEO. P. WHITTLESEY, .GRAFTON L. McGILL. 

